Seated in High Places

Hot and Cold

If you live AZ you have probably noticed we are home to a very interesting anomaly. Many of you noticed it today as you prepared to come to service. You jumped in the shower hoping to cool off and be refreshed in cool water but instead you were met by water that was not hot and was not cold. It was warm, not just warm it gross warm.

I am one that loves my food to be hot especially soups, or coffee. When the bowl sits out too long it gets room temperature or just barely warm and ruins the dish. Posole is not good unless its hot… When you eat tepid food it gross you want to spit it out.

As people there is a charge to be hot, or to be cold and not to be warm or tepid it speaks of decisive action and not to vacillate in the middle.

Either we build a strong firm foundation in Christ or… we choose to have a cold distant relationship with Him.

In this relationship we cannot state in one breath Jesus values all life and with our action declare He is agreeable to the murdering of innocent infants.

While the governmental courts appear to have given a moral victory, they really only decided on the validity of the case, and have not argued the morality of the case. Yet today we see many including churches who are upset over a ruling that is intended to protect both the life of the unborn as much as it protects the woman carrying said child.

The church cannot take such a cold approach on the sanctity of life and still say they are on fire for Christ.

Many want to dine with the Lord but are unwilling to put in the work.

To Dine with the Lord our Relationship With Him Must be Hot.

Revelation 3:14–22 ESV

“And to the angel of the church in Laodicea write: ‘The words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of God’s creation. “ ‘I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were either cold or hot! So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth. For you say, I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing, not realizing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked. I counsel you to buy from me gold refined by fire, so that you may be rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself and the shame of your nakedness may not be seen, and salve to anoint your eyes, so that you may see. Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline, so be zealous and repent. Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me. The one who conquers, I will grant him to sit with me on my throne, as I also conquered and sat down with my Father on his throne. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’ ”

City of Laodicea

Rivaled Ephesus in beauty and power

Advanced in Medicine

Money was bountiful

Survives a destructive earthquake

Refuses governmental financial assistance

Water Aqueducts

Hierapolis 6 mi south Mineral Hot Springs

Fresh water from Colassae

The water was just not appealing.

Self-Sufficiency

Philadelphia trusted the Lord with everything

Buying into erred doctrine

Hez (apocrypha) 6 God helps those who help themselves

Late 400’s BC Euripedes resounds this statement

No doubt they repeated this taught platitude

Christians believed they could do well for themselves and invite God into the picture latr

Today God is not the center of many “Christian’s faith, He is only part of their self sufficiency

Intellect

Strength

Resources

Finances

Work

ME ME ME ME ME

Relationship with the Lord means forsaking everything trusting Him above all things

Revelation of Jesus

Revelation 3:14 ESV

“And to the angel of the church in Laodicea write: ‘The words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of God’s creation.

The Amen

Understanding

He speaks and it is so

Contractual language

It is so

When He speaks into our lives who can counter

Faithful and True witness

He was their from the very beginning

Sustains all things by His nature (Heb 1:3)

His Essence

The only one who can see it all and testify

The beginning

No one is telling Him what happened He was there in the beginning (Col 1:15)

Opposed to Greek Mythology He does not depend on the people they Depend on Him… (I am Being)

No Commendation for Self Sufficiency

Revelation of Christ speaks against the compromised witness of the church

Revelation 3:15–17 ESV

“ ‘I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were either cold or hot! So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth. For you say, I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing, not realizing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked.

Intimate knowledge of Ineffective Work

Lack of spiritual drive

Halfhearted commitment to Christ

Hot water had healing medicinal purposes

Cold water was refreshing and drinkable

Water in Laodicea was only warm and made one sick and nauseas

Hot: Christ speaks of the person to either be one who is on fire and is willing to engage in the spiritual warefare occuring

Cold: Christ speaks of the people being the refreshing pool of water in which the weary traveler may be revitalized

They are neither and therefore will be not spit out but vomitted out. It makes Him Nauseas to have a people who depend on their own strong arm to provide

You think you are rich (You have money)

You think you are prospered (You Did it)

Need Nothing (Do not Rely on the Power of God.)

Your efforts are Vacant

Spiritual Compromise = Spiritual Misery

Financial Compromise = Financial Misery

Physical Compromise = Spiritual Bankruptcy

Blind = Cannot see in the Spirit

Naked = No Spiritual Covering

Exhorted to Depend on Christ Alone

Revelation 3:18–20 ESV

I counsel you to buy from me gold refined by fire, so that you may be rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself and the shame of your nakedness may not be seen, and salve to anoint your eyes, so that you may see. Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline, so be zealous and repent. Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me.

Reminder of How it will cost you everything to follow Christ

His Riches are beyond compare

Garments can only be made white by Him

The power of true healing is in His hand

He will be the spiritual covering

Repentance is the first step

He does not force anyone to have an intimate relationship

Out of Love He draws us to Him

Desire to be intimate

Desires to prepare a table for us in which we can dine.

Promises of Being Seated with Him

Revelation 3:21–22 ESV

The one who conquers, I will grant him to sit with me on my throne, as I also conquered and sat down with my Father on his throne. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’ ”

Intimacy requires commitment

Reward of sitting with Him is a result of a renewed relationship with Him.

Not everyone sits on His throne this is for the one who overcomes.